by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins' treatment of franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III will be the subject of debate for the offseason and likely for the rest of his career - especially if the heralded rookie suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament Sunday; he was already playing hobbled because of a sprained knee.

Griffin was knocked out of a 24-14 wild-card loss to the Seattle Seahawks one day after James Andrews, a team orthopedist, told USA TODAY Sports he was "scared to death" over Griffin playing with an injured knee and a brace.

And Sunday, for the second time, Andrews insisted he never cleared Griffin to return to a game in which Griffin initially injured his knee, even though coach Mike Shanahan again tried to lay the responsibility on him.

Sunday, Shanahan allowed Griffin to remain in the game even though Griffin re-injured his previously sprained right knee during the first half. Griffin, obviously hobbled, eventually left the game after his leg buckled in the FedEx Field sod in the fourth quarter.

"I tried to go out and help the team win, period," Griffin said. "There was no way I was coming out of that game."

The results of his MRI are not yet available.

After the game, when confronted with Andrews' comments to USA TODAY Sports, Shanahan said that after Griffin originally suffered a sprained lateral collateral ligament vs. the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 9, Andrews had cleared him to return. Griffin came out of the 31-28 victory after colliding with defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. He limped off the field for one play, then re-entered the game for four plays before removing himself.

The following day, Shanahan said he let Griffin return with the blessing of Andrews. But Andrews told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday that he never cleared Griffin to return, because he never even examined him.

"(Griffin) didn't even let us look at him," Andrews said. "He came off the field, walked through the sidelines, circled back through the players and took off back to the field. It wasn't our opinion. We didn't even get to touch him or talk to him. Scared the hell out of me."

Shanahan said Sunday that he did have a brief conversation with Andrews on Dec. 9, in which the doctor indicated that he "figured" Griffin was OK after seeing him jog around. Reached Sunday night by USA TODAY Sports, Andrews reiterated in a text that he did not clear Griffin to return against the Ravens.

"He came off the field, circled through the players with helmet on and went immediately back in the game without anyone - trainers or medical staff - getting close to him, much less examining him. No one to blame. A communication problem under the circumstances. I had no chance to clear him."

Andrews seemingly contradicted himself by adding, "Coach Shanahan would never put him back in unhealthy or without asking us."

Shanahan said Sunday Griffin convinced him he could stay in Sunday's game against Seattle by explaining that he was only hurt, not injured.

In postgame comments, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said it was "hard to watch" Griffin, who appeared to tweak the injury in the first half, but remained in the game - this time with Andrews' blessing, Shanahan says.